Waymo chooses Munich as first EU city to launch robotaxis

US-based self-driving car company Waymo has announced it has chosen Munich as the first EU city to roll out its vehicles. The announcement comes as Germany’s traditional automotive industry grapples with decline.

Waymo’s Munich launch planned for 2027

Waymo has announced that in the coming weeks it will begin mapping Munich's streets and testing its self-driving cars in the Bavarian capital. 

The company, a subsidiary of Google’s parent company, Alphabet, plans to make Waymo available to Munchners by the end of 2027.

“We’re excited to show how Waymo can complement the public transport, cycling and pedestrian networks that people in Munich and across Germany rely on every day,” the company wrote in a press release.

“Munich is a world-class hub for mobility and engineering, and becoming part of this city marks an important milestone in our global expansion,” Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana added.

Waymo currently operates in 10 US cities and, following a recent fundraiser that gathered around 16 billion US Dollars, plans to expand to 20 metropolitan areas worldwide.

Waymo launches as German auto industry in crisis

News of Waymo’s launch in Munich, the centre of Germany’s traditional automotive industry, comes as Volkswagen, BMW and other homegrown manufacturers grapple with decline.

The industry-wide crisis has been sparked by stiff competition from Chinese car manufacturers, a difficult transition to producing electric cars (EVs) and increased production costs.

Speaking to Bild am Sonntag last weekend, Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume said the company was in a “more than critical state” and planning "the largest transformation plan in the history of the Volkswagen Group."

Blume wants to cut VW’s range of models in half by 2030, lower production costs at German plants and stabilise global production targets at around nine million, down from 11 million in 2018.

Speaking to around 10.000 employees at VW’s Wolfsburg plant on August 25, Blume warned employees to brace for more job losses. VW has already announced 50.000 job cuts, and 50.000 more are on the cards according to Blume’s plan. The announcement was met with boos and jeers from employees.